Konoha's Savior No Longer
by We're All To Blame
Summary: Naruto's had enough of his treatment by Team Seven...so he runs away! What happens and who picks up his pieces? Please R&R my first Naruto fic! Thanks! Rated M for languge and sexual implications. Also, pleas note I am now considering this as I joke on me- it's everything I hate rolled into one fanfic...
1. Enough

Konoha's Savior No Longer

**Konoha's Savior No Longer**

Summary: Naurto's had enough of Team Seven. Who helps him get rid of his anger? Sorry for the crappy story. It's been in my head for a few months now and I had to get it out. Bear with me please. First Naruto story so please be nice.

Warnings: Sakura bashing (I don't like her much, considering that this takes place somewhere in the first part), Yaoi, Mild Language, touchy-touchy make-out sessions, and Incest

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Come on now. Be serious.

Naruto had had enough. Enough of Sakura treating him as though he wasn't worth her time. Enough of Kakashi-sensei acting like he hadn't _enough_ time for his student who _needed_ it. But above all those, he was sick of living under Sasuke's shadow. He was sick of Sakura giving Sasuke praise even when he hadn't done a thing, or ignored every word of it. Meanwhile, Naruto was trying his hardest to impress her! Sasuke didn't like her; Naruto did.

But he had it all figured out. If no one wanted him there, then he wouldn't be. If everyone was only going to glare at him like a demon, or something less than an idiotic fool, then he would do them a favor and get out.

No more being hated by Sakura just because he wasn't the smartest one in the group. No more being pushed aside by Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei because he wasn't good enough.

_No,_ Naruto thought. _Enough is enough. Even Konohamaru became a Sasuke fangirl when those sand ninja came into the picture._

Naruto was dragged out of his thoughts by a series of words screeched at his face by none other than Sakura Haruno. He rolled his eyes.

"NARUTO! I'M GETTING TIRED OF OU NOT LISTENING TO ME! IT'S AS IF I DON'T EXIST IN THE FANTASY WORLD YOU JUST STEPPED INTO!" Sakura finally took a breath and shrieked louder than before. "I'M SICK OF IT!!"

"Sakura." A quieter voice said, angry (Naruto thought he saw some drool come out of her mouth). "Shut up."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it, and hung her head in shame.

Naruto, however, glared at Sasuke.

_There he goes again. Butting his fat, ugly head into MY business. _

_**But he did make her stop screaming at you. Honestly. She was giving you and me both a severe headache. Nag, nag, nag…**_

He sighed. Kyuubi was right.

"Tha-" Naruto started.

"You can shut up too, dobe." Sasuke snapped.

Naruto was pissed now. All he was going to do was say thanks and Sasuke, being the ignorant jerk off that he was, blew him off!

He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. When he opened his eyes, they were the regular blue instead of Kyuubi's red bleeding through. He smiled at his sensei and team.

"Well, that was a good training session today. But, if you don't mind of course, Kakashi-sensei, I'm going home." Naruto yawned and hoped it sounded like he actually meant it. "I'm extremely tired."

Sakura sniffed. "Slacker." Naruto glared. Kakashi, moving in quickly, said, "of course you can go home." Sasuke only said, "hn." _Naruto's up to something…_ he thought.

As soon as Naruto disappeared from sight, Sakura started to say stupid shit again.

"I'm extremely tired," she mimicked. "I have no idea why he think he's better than us. I mean, honestly. He's not even as good a ninja as Sasuke-kun. (Sasuke's eyes narrowed.) _AND_ he's not as good a person or student."

As Sakura rambled on and on about Naruto's inferiority to Sasuke, the latter was wondering more and more about what Naruto was doing. It wasn't like Naruto to leave practice early; it was more like him to stay late. Another problem, was the location Team Seven was at. Naruto turned toward his house; not the usual ramen shop. Naruto never leaves training without having _at least_ ten bowls of the stuff. If Kakashi could lift his face out of his perverted book, and Sakura stop being a favoritizing bitch, both would see that something wasn't right.

Sasuke stood up. "I'm going home as well." Unlike Naruto, Sasuke didn't wait for permission from Kakashi. But then, he didn't need to- he was sensei's favorite.

Naruto ran as quickly as his aching body would allow. As he arrived at his apartment's bedroom he began to pack. He glanced outside. Sunset. He'd be gone by twilight.

By the time Sasuke arrived at Naruto's apartment complex, the blonde dobe was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he?" Sasuke mumbled as he walked toward his own house. He had checked the training grounds located in the woods-just in case, all of the ramen shops, and look in his apartment.

The apartment door had been unlocked and left ajar, which was usual for the golden-haired idiot- a lot of people in the village wanted to hurt Naruto. Not that Sasuke knew that for _sure_. It wasn't as if he checked up on him once in a while to make sure he was _okay_.

Sasuke didn't care.

_Naruto better be here tomorrow, or Sakura is going to kick his ass for being "lazy." _

Sasuke climbed into bed and turned out the light, thoughts of where Naruto might be on his mind.

A/N: I know it's a little short, but that's kind of where I wanted the chapter to end. Where Naruto end up is in the next chapter! I'm not going update upon a certain amount of reviews, but they do help with a motivation to get the next chapter up sooner (they tell me if you guys like it or not)!


	2. What Happened? Part 1

_Sasuke climbed into bed and turned out the light, thoughts of where Naruto might be on his mind._

He supposed the blood red sun should have been a clue of what was to come. Now, he was sure to become a fatality mounted against this deadly desert struggling against all natural odds.

But he wasn't a natural boy.

He continued his journey blindly with a cloth over his mouth, desperately fleeing for safety from the storm. One false step, however, and he was sent hurtling into the sand beneath him, stunned by the weight of the grains beginning to cover him. He heard one last disbelieving "Naruto!" before everything went black.

* * *

The fifth Kazekage looked up in surprise. He had going the amount of people caught in the storm with the hospital's secretary, when Kankuro had burst through the doors. He held a smaller bundle in his arms and the protector of Suna realized that it was the body of a young boy. Actually, now that he thought about it, the boy couldn't have been any older than he was with golden, unbrushed hair. Could it be…?

Doctors were rushing to the aid of this unconscious newcomer making sure he was alive, breathing, that he hadn't swallowed any sand, placing him on a stretcher…

As they rolled him into an empty room, Gaara caught a another glimpse of the stranger, fully recognizing him.

Then, the mystery boy opened his striking blue eyes…

**A/N: Sorry it's short. A drabble really. Hopefully it moved the story along for you guys, though. I had another one that was super long but I lost it, and it had unnecessary details that, when re-read, didn't even make sense to **_**me**_**. So this is basically the highlights of that draft and hopefully you won't hate me **_**too**_** much…O.o…bye! (quickly runs away) I"LL POST ANOTHER CHAPTER I SWEAR!! IN NARU"S POV!!**


	3. What Happened? Part 2

_Then, the mystery boy opened his striking blue eyes…_

Bright lights. Colors, shapes, voices all fading in and out inconsistently. A pounding migraine; _'what happened?' _Something is shoved into my nose, causing me to shutter and try to back away from my attackers. Unfortunately, I only find out that my body does _not_ want to cooperate with me. What the hell? Where's Kyuubi when you actually _need_ him, damn it?

As my vision begins to clear, the various shapes that seem to be dressed in white slowly begin to dissipate from the room. Oh my Kami. Oh _my_ Kami. Oh my KAMI! Am I DEAD?! Idon'twannadieIdon'twannadieIdon'twannadieIdon'twanna-

"Good morning, Naruto." A cool, calm and almost distant voice to me.

"Kami?" I question, angry with Kyuubi for a time that I actually _want_ him around.

"No, Naruto." I can hear a small smile his voice. I steal a glance at the door.

Gaara.

"Gaara?" I choke. My throat feels like shit. It's sore, and raw, and I keep feel a grainy substance rub against it.

His voice becomes stern and reprimanding. "Naruto, now is not the time to speak-even with Kyuubi's help. Your voice and throat need to rest." He gives another small, creepy smile at the face I make. "Yes, Naruto, they do. A sandstorm is a horrific thing to go through."

With that, he just _walks away_. Bitch. I sigh as I start to remember what he was talking about with the storm. Where's Kyuubi? He's really starting to make me mad. What a _punk_.

I couldn't think on it too long though as my eyes drifted closed, sending me into a nappy poo in Beddy-By Land. (1)

**(1) THE PACIFIER!! XD **


	4. Lost

_Sasuke climbed into bed and turned out the light, thoughts of where Naruto might be on his mind_.

"There was a recent storm here. I'm sorry but I lost the scent."

Sasuke had taken Kakashi's dog, Pakkun, to help him find Naruto. However, now they lost the trail and Sasuke blamed himself for the misfortune. If he had not slept the night before and had instead looked for Naruto he night have found him by now.

Pakkun looked to Sasuke on what to do. It only took a second to consider options. "You go back to Kakashi and tell him Naruto is missing and his trail is cold. I'll keep moving to find out whether of not I can still track him on my own for another two days. I'll send word at the end of each day for reports. If I do not, don't look for me, it could have slipped my mind." They both knew this to be an irrational thought.

"Are you sure this is a good-"

"Of course I'm sure." Sasuke snapped. "Now go!"

The dog quickly headed back to the Village of Leaves as Sasuke ran forward, continuing on.

* * *

Around the time it began to the dark, Sasuke started to weigh his options. On the one hand, he could keep going and try to find the dobe today- Naruto, being the klutz he is, could be hurt severely or worse. However, Sasuke himself could get lost, hurt, or attract unnecessary attention-even with his Sharingan.

Sasuke was so lost in thoughts as he eventually set up camp, that he did not notice a pair of unnatural looking eyes stalking him, following his every move…


	5. A Kazekage's Thoughts

_The mystery boy opened his striking blue eyes…_

'_What is he doing here?'_ The young leader of Sunagakure questioned. He sat in his office after taking an underground route to avoid the sandstorm.

He glanced at the unfinished paperwork still on his desk, and after a few moments of trying to complete it, he pushed it aside, frustrated. He knew he would never get it done with the question of Naruto's motives for being here pressing on his mind. As he wondered upon why he was here and how his current condition was, the young man also questioned whether he would ever know the true answers to these questions. The overly caring idiot may have been a little open when he was speaking sometimes, however, he honestly doubted that Naruto would let him in on something this big. No, most likely it would take Gaara's cunning to figure this out.

Until then, he would try to bear and complete his paperwork, and suffer though as many stubborn nin problems as he deemed was possible.

Forcing himself to concentrate on the work that was supposed to concern him at the moment, he set to work on the mountain of papers in front him. In no time, the kazekage had cleared his desk and began for his office door.

Once he arrived, however, his door seemed to open on it's own. He forced his expression to remain neutral as he stared into the face of his secretary. She gave him an apologetic look as she made her way past him to his desk. _'No…'_ Gaara looked on in horror as she set more papers in the cherry wood desk.

"I'm so sorry Gaara-sama." She mumbled as she ducked back out again. Once outside, she poked her head back into the doorway and added, "it has to be done by this afternoon." Then she was gone, scuttling away. Gaara turned back to the new pile and allowed himself the luxury of heaving an exasperated sigh.

'_This is going to be a _long_ day.'_


	6. A Foolproof Plan

_I couldn't think on it too long though as my eyes drifted closed sending me into a nappy-poo in Beddy-By Land…_

Doctors, nurses, and various other hospital personnel wove in and out of Naruto's room as he attempted to think up a foolproof plan.

Naruto briefly thought upon what Sasuke might have said about it: 'A foolproof plan? You're a fool Naruto; it can't possibly work with you as the mastermind.' But Naruto knew, he _knew_ he could do it if he thought about it long enough.

Through the door? No, that would not be foolproof…. The window? No- not original…. He sighed. Perhaps this would be harder than he thought. He looked up and had to push his golden, sunlight hair out of his sky blue eyes as someone came through the door once more.

"Uh…hey…" Kankuro, much like Gaara, was someone Naruto recognized immediately. They had never necessarily been the best of friends, but they had also never been hostile… well, discounting the time the sand village had attacked the leaf village, causing a battle between them. It didn't last long though… Kankuro spoke up again. "When our staff say you're up to it… which you should be around lunchtime due to your rapid recovery, my brother wants to see you. You remember Gaara, right?"

Of course he remembered Gaara- how could he forget? Blood red hair with icy blue-green eyes glaring at you hatefully- all of it coming together with a deadly air. It wasn't something easily forgotten. He didn't tell Kankuro al of _that_, though. He tried to give a knowing smile. "Yes." His voice wasn't as scratchy as it was when he had been talking to Gaara earlier, but his throat was still sore; it caused him to grimace.

Kankuro looked him over from his distance, clearly worried. "What's wrong? Do you need a doctor?"

"No, no; I just hurt my throat; no big deal." Naruto reassured with another attempted smile. "See?"

"Are you sure?" Kankuro was acting as if _Naruto_ was his younger brother, not Gaara.

Naruto laughed a little, causing some more discomfort, yet even still it was less than before. "Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, I just need to rest it."

"Well then talking to me, dobe." Kankuro smiled. There was a moment of fairly awkward silence before Naruto decided to speak.

"Kankuro, how did I end up here…?" He asked quietly, unsure if the sand nin even knew the answer to his question.

"Well, I found you outside of the village in the storm when you passed out from the pressure of the sand. I was not as affected by it because I live here and therefore I'm more tolerant and used to it." More uneasy silence ensued before Kankuro cleared hi throat. "Well, uh… remember that you must meet with Gaara when your throat heals. Right now, however," he smiled more easily at the blond in the hospital bed before him, "you have to rest." When the blond opened his mouth to protest the sand ninja repeated in amused forcefulness, "Rest, Naruto." He then left the ninja of the Hidden Leaf village to think upon his all-original and completely foolproof plan once again.


	7. Bad Dreams and Worse Thoughts

Sasuke was so lost in his thoughts as he eventually set up camp, that he did not notice a pair of unnatural looking eyes stalking him, following his every move…

That night, Sasuke had a disturbing dream. In it, he found Naruto who was back in Konoha- had been the entire time he was missing. That was not the strangest part, though. Naruto told Sasuke that he was leaving the village to become comrades with the late Haku and Zabuza. Haku joined Naruto's side as the village set on fire and destroyed, most likely by Zabuza. Naruto leaned over and kissed Haku, turning back to sneer at Sasuke.

"I was biding my time until the opportunity rose to destroy the village I tried to love, but only ever hated me. I've striven and tried but they still looked down on me. Now I must be going with people who _do_ care; my own kind."

He leaped up the wall with Haku and Zabuza in tow as a particularly huge part of a building fell upon Sasuke.

Sasuke had woken up in a distraught sweat. Now he was curled into a ball, his way of forgetting just as he used to do with dreams of another ninja he used to know.

When it became apparent that the vision would not dissipate at this moment in time, Sasuke grudgingly sat up and began to gather the things he could easily carry. He needed to complete his "mission" and find Naruto. And when he did, he would give Naruto an earful about giving him strange and frightening nightmares. Then he would kill, bring back to life and kill him again.

He reluctantly finished getting his possessions in order, and began his journey once again.

**It won't be long now, he thought to himself tracking to young Uchiha through the wilderness. He had been watching for a while now, and knew that, without help, the leaf nin had no sense of direction out here. Once Sasuke was disoriented, he would see just how much the child had really changed.**

**It ****wouldn't be long now.**

Why did he send Pakkun home? The more he tried to find his way around the sand country, the more the sinking feeling of being lost began to settle in. Images swam through his mind, alternating between himself and Naruto. Naruto alone, dying somewhere in an abyss of darkness. Himself, passing out from exhaustion in the deadly desert. Naruto, joining up with Orochimaru as he had done before he came to his senses. Himself, stumbling upon Naruto's already decaying body, unable to help the hyperactive dobe any longer.

As he squeezed his eyes to try to block the visions, more assaulted him until he fell over with frustration and desperation. He would never find his friend. He was so beside himself with despair that he didn't notice someone sneaking behind him silently.

Suddenly, he felt an extreme force on the block of his neck, and his last thoughts were on his grim prophecy coming true as his world faded to black.


	8. Bad News

Gaara turned back to the new pile and allowed himself the luxury of having an exasperated sigh. This is going to be a long day.

Finally, he completed the mountainous paperwork once more, finishing an "essay" for one of his captain ninja.

He pushed himself up from his desk and sought the hospital for the second time that day. Once he arrived, he noticed the doctors and healers acting strange, talking in whispers and trying to avoid the kazekage's eyes.

Then he walked up to one of the nurses. "Excuse me, what happened here?" The nurse looked around and got wide, innocent eyes.

"I-I don't know, sir. You should probably ask someone else…?" The young Suna leader pushed past the confused nurse gently but quickly. He was beginning to become worried and frustrated with the lack of information he was receiving, yet his face remained as stoic as it had ever been.

He passed by many of the hospital's staff searching for the answer to his question. Finally, came in the form of a timid, young intern.

"W-well, Sir, it seems…." He allowed himself to trail off, looking around for anything that might save him from the redhead's coming wrath. He found nothing.

"It seems…?" Gaara prompted, becoming even more impatient.

"What? Oh yes, well it seems…it _seems_…, andnooneseemstoknowwhereheis."

Gaara did not lose a beat in interpreting what he said. "What?"

"It seems as though-" the intern tried with his eyes closed.

"Find him!" The kazekage raged.

"Y-yes, Sir, right away, Sir." The intern couldn't scramble away fast enough.

Sand billowed around the young man as he walked away from the hospital in search of one hyperactive dobe.


	9. The Foolproof Plan is Postponed

Kankuro then left the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village to think upon his all-original and completely fool plan once again...

He rushed through the streets of Suna, stopping to hide from any ninja he caught sight of. He had escaped around fifteen minutes ago, leaving a shadow clone that probably didn't hold for long considering he felt like absolute shit at the moment. His current speed was slow from the aforementioned pain, and the aforementioned checking of his solitary status.

Ten long minutes later, Naruto finally made it to the outskirts of the sand village.

"Heh, made it." He took a quick yet dramatically cautious glance around. "And without a follower in sight." Triumphant, he stepped out into the barren desert…and right into a barrier as big as himself. "Hey! What's the big i-" He cut himself off as he realized it was Gaara standing in front of him with his arms crossed.

"H-Hey…" he ventured. He did not want to pick a fight with Gaara-he'd lose.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" His redheaded ally asked calmly.

"You know, just walking around, stretching my legs…." He laughed nervously.

"I believe I asked you to join me for lunch, did I not?"

"Uh…yeah! I mean, I _was_ coming back!" Naruto said defensively.

"Alright then," Gaara raised an eyebrow. "Let's go and eat lunch."

_He might be selling me out to the leaf village as we speak! _The blonde ninja thought. _I _have _to get out of here..._ "Yeah…about that…I kinda wanted to finish my walk; get the juices re-flowing you kn-"

"I will allow the choice of whatever you would like to eat." Gaara offered.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Do you have ramen?"

"All of the ramen that you can eat."

Naruto placed his hand behind his head and grinned. "Well, I guess I can't argue with _that_ logic! Believe it!"

Anyone who wanted to listen would've heard the leaf nin say their kazekage, "You know, I haven't had ramen for a whole day…."

Naruto stuffed his face as Gaara looked on with his usual emotionless face, apparently not hungry. Naruto didn't mind-it just meant more delicious ramen for him! He kept his grin from half an hour ago until Gaara asked him a particularly sore question.

"Why are you here, Naruto?" The redheaded demon child asked.

The blonde next to him paused for a moment, then finished his bowl and asked the chef for another-his tenth bowl and counting. "Well, Gaara, that's none of your business." He stated rather cold and distantly.

"You're on the run, aren't you?" His companion asked, watching for a reaction, and any signs that he was correct. Surprisingly, he was let down. Naruto only finished his bowl and asked for yet another. They left an hour later in complete silence.

Naruto was walking in an angry defensive state, while Gaara looked on as if he were considering something. Finally, as they reached the kazekage's house and the redheaded insomniac spoke.

"Come, I'll show you to your room."

"What?"


	10. On Edge

_Suddenly, he felt an extreme force...as his world faded to black._

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times, looking around. He noticed he was inside of a place that seemed to be wet and made of stone. _'What the hell?'_ He thought as he noticed that the stone floors and walls weren't just damp, the whole room was practically flooded with water. Suddenly he felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck as he realized someone was behind him. The person behind him chuckled with amusement at Sasuke's shocked horror.

"It's been too long, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke forced an blank, uninterested expression onto his face. "Yes it has. I take it he'll arrive soon?"

"Of course," the form chuckled again, "isn't he always if I'm around?"

Sasuke figured the two were as inseparable as Siamese twins-that was the purpose of the question. Instead of commenting, though, he only calmly checked his weapon pouches, not surprised as he found they were empty. "Did you expect I would attack the two of you, or is this just standard procedure?"

The other laughed full-heartedly. "Both; given the bad blood in your history, I couldn't take chances. You understand, of course?" Sasuke could hear the grin the other male almost never let slip.

"Of course," though he sincerely wished he _had_ his weapons for he'd never felt so on edge since first meeting Orochimaru in the chuunin exams.

"Don't be so tense, Sasuke," the man giggled, "it's not as if you need weapons to win in a battle, right? I mean, you _are_ Uchiha after all, aren't you?"

Sasuke grit his teeth to hold back useless tears as he remembered his ill-fated family.

"Speak of the devil," the older male grinned at the new arrival. Sasuke turned to see he had indeed shown his face to the fifteen-year-old.

"Hello again, Sasuke. It's been far too long." He heard the familiar, deep voice say to him.

"Not long enough, Itachi."

A/N: GOD I'M BEGINNING TO HATE THIS STORY! O.o IT's _SO_ CRACK! Ooo- I HATE HOW DRAMATIC EVERYTHING IS! BUT I MUST CONTINUE FOR THE SAKE OF YOU ALL!


	11. Seeing Red

Sand billowed around the young man as he walked away from the hospital in search of one hyperactive dobe.

'_What's gotten into him? What the hell was he thinking?'_ Gaara's mind was in a raging tailspin, his body walking calmly beside Naruto's, not allowing anyone to know he was anything but collected. While he seethed inside his thoughts, Naruto was animatedly unfurling a story of his first encounter with ramen, making it unnecessarily fantastical.

"Anyway, after the old broad finished assaulting him with her invincible purse of stones, Iruka-sensei looked up to me softly, slowly losing consciousness, 'eat the ramen and remember me always.' And with that he died." Naruto feigned sadness, hoping his dramatic and unbelievable story had hit Gaara's heart- of course, it didn't.

"I saw your Iruka-sensei during the chuunin exams, and you've been surviving off of ramen your entire existence- don't give me that cock-and-bull story." Gaara smirked as Naruto appeared to be shocked that the redheaded –kage would use such vulgar, informal language at the end of his criticism.

However, the blond only laughed at the redhead's words. "Okay, okay, you don't need to jump down my throat about it, Gaara. Maybe it was a little outrageous." A quick glance to the side and the blonde rolled his eyes. "Okay, a _lot_ outrageous. Are you happy now?"

"Yes," the kazekage smirked again, showing Naruto the most emotion in ten minutes, than the redhead had probably shown since the incident with his uncle Yashamaru when he was six years of age.

They reached their desired location, which was inside the kazeage's tower. The young men walked up many flights of stairs and down a long hallway before the leader of the duo turned left and continued down another hall that drifted downward, and halted at the last door on the right.

"You'll be sleeping across from my room and remember: because of Shugaku, I don't sleep," the icy green-eyed kazekage warned.

Naruto once again uncharacteristically rolled eyes. "Okay, okay, I get it, Mommy," the icy green eyes burned with rage, "I'll be fine," he laughed good-naturedly. "Now, how about we go get some ramen!" He grinned, pushing his headband up in his "happy habit."

Gaara grimaced. _'It will indeed be a long day.'_


	12. Questions Part 1

"_Come, I'll show you to your room."_

"_What?"_

Naruto hadn't been too excited at the prospect of having a room to stay in in Suna, and was even less so at the reminder of Gaara's insomnia, however, he tried not to hold a grudge against the friends he cared about. The only exception, the one problem, was the dobe's own Hidden Leaf Village. Laughing bitterly in the security of his own mind, he frowned outwardly at the idea of betraying his home and fleeing unintentionally to his ally village. However, he knew in his morally declining heart that they deserved it. The thing that hurt him the most, though, was that they were glad the demon-child was gone.

After fifteen minutes of Naruto eating ramen enthusiastically, and his companion eating his own lunch calmly and reservedly, Gaara broke the steady silence.

"I must ask a question of you, Naruto." He stated seriously.

The blond who had been addressed, paused in the study of the sport of stuffing his face to give Gaara his puffy-cheeked attention.

"Why are you here, Naruto? You do not even seem to be enjoying this situation you are currently in." Gaara asked this, observing his friend's face for the slightest give-away to the answer. He was disappointed, surprisingly; Naruto's expression was completely null and void of any emotions or answers.

"Not particularly," the blond stated blankly, choosing _not_ to elaborate any further on the subject; he did _not_ need Gaara to know that he'd deserted his home village.

Both stared at the other, wills blazing strongly- one wanted more details to answer his questions, the other wanted the subject dropped entirely. Finally, after a lengthy and tense silence, one resolve cracked and folded under the winning out of the other- he sighed.

"Alright then, if you do not wish to reveal the entire tale, I will not force it upon you to," Gaara stated. The state of impenetrability he was experiencing with the tanned blond across from him had, quite honestly, given him the chills. Naruto had always offered some insight to the inner turmoil or emotions he was feeling or what he was thinking by the words he shouted and the illustrations on his face.

Naruto was smiling for two reasons: he had waged a silent battle against _Gaara_ and _won_, and, of course, he was also able to eat ramen under Gaara's offer for treatment.

All too soon, however, he was full and could no longer eat the ramen in front of him after only seventeen bowls- he felt as though he were losing his touch. He continued to feel this way even when the ramen chef seemed glad to be rid of him, claiming something about the tanned blond nearly eating his entire stock (apparently, Suna didn't carry as much as Konoha…).

However, he didn't let it bother him for too long as Gaara offered to take him around the city before they headed back to their respective chambers.

This would be a good day.


	13. The Return of Itachi

"_Hello again, Sasuke. It's been far too long." He heard the deep voice say to him._

"_Not long enough, Itachi.__"_

Sasuke glared full-Uchiha-force at his older brother, but the couldn't deny the cold fingers of terror that were currently wrapping themselves around his chest, twisting and crushing his confidence. In a fair fight against Itachi, he knew there was a slight sliver chance in his favor, but because they were implying a rigged one, he had no chance at all.

Itachi slowly stepped over to his last remaining clan member and reached out to touch his face. Sasuke flinched and the older raven withdrew his hand.

"It hurts that you don't trust your aniki anymore, 'Suke," he smirked.

"You're not my aniki anymore, _Itachi_. The big brother _I_ knew wouldn't have betrayed and slaughtered his family the way _you_ did." Sasuke huffed.

Itachi smiled slowly and sadly. No… he _couldn't_ be capable of such an emotion- they all knew this. "If only you knew, 'Suke."

"Don't call me that." Sasuke said this rather childishly, but he didn't care. The slender man before him had no business acting as though their old relationship was the way it used to be. The days they used to spend as brothers were now bitter shells and forgotten memories of broken promises of forever.

"Why shouldn't I? It's your name after all…"

"My name is _Sa_suke." The younger said with an angry pout.

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle lightly at this- his brother was just too cute! "Thank you, Kisame, for bringing him here." Itachi turned to his blue Akatsuki partner in S-ranked criminal crime. "I would appreciate some quality bonding time with my dear, dear otouto."

Kisame grinned and said, "I gotcha, Itachi. You two play nice now." Sasuke didn't particularly enjoy the wink the retreating blue swordsman sent his way. It would make sense if his brother and his sushi platter had come up with some horrifyingly evil plan to humiliate him before they mercilessly slaughtered him like a pig.

Once Kisame was out of sight and neither Uchiha brother could sense his chakra (with or without their Sharingan), Itachi turned back his little brother and sighed. "Look, Sasuke, we need to talk."

Orochimaru's former student could only stare from his chakra-bound seated position on the ground as his brother stepped even closer to his unarmed form.


	14. A NotSoHorrible Plan

_Gaara grimaced_. It will indeed be a _long_ day.

After an hour of touring clothing stores for Naruto's comfort, and prying the dobe away from every fast food restaurant the village had (which, admittedly, wasn't many- but _still!_), Gaara found he really was enjoying himself. This was especially made clear when Naruto introduced him to joys of playing anonymous pranks on unsuspecting committee members.

Even if Naruto was too stubborn to explain to Gaara's confidence what had transpired to bring him here, perhaps the day would not be so horrible after all. Besides, he would allow Naruto to come to his own terms of telling the sand nin- he wouldn't force his friend and ally or ask his home village. To do so would be a direct violation of the mutual trust the two boys held for each other. Upon seeing the redhead's thoughtful frown, the nine-tailed kit turned to face his friend. "Huh? Hey, Gaara, what's up?"

_What the hell? Why is my heart coursing blood through my veins so quickly? Why are my cheeks burning with inexplicable fire? Could it be that I am consumed by some sort of genjutsu that has surpassed my notice? No… I would have sensed someone in close proximity…. Why do I enjoy experiencing these strange and unnerving sensations…?_ The kazekage of the sand made sure not to let the dobe ninja next to him see what his concern was doing to the Shugaku child.

"What? No-nothing." Gaara mumbled whilst he was silently cursing himself for stuttering and allowing his face to continue to burn.

"It's doesn't look like it's nothing. Are you sure you don't need to lie d-"

"I said it was nothing." Gaara snapped. His expression softened when he noted Naruto's own shocked then saddened expression. "Look, really, I'm okay… what else would you like to do today?" His pathetic attempt at a sincere and friendly smile caused his companion to chuckle then laugh out right.

"Alright if you insist, Gaara. I wonder… what Kankuro and Temari are doing right now?" He winked at the only one to know the true extent of his own pain.

"What do you mean?" Gaara almost let a small smirk to grace his lips when Naruto grinned and laughed darkly.

"Well, what do you say we pay them a visit and see how far we can go in our games before they catch on…"

Gaara chuckled sinisterly as well. This may prove to be a very interesting day.


	15. And Action!

_This would be a good day. _

They crept up the stairs of the kazekage tower to Gaara's siblings' rooms, careful to suppress their chakra levels lest Kankuro and Temari sensed their presence. Naruto was leading the way while Gaara followed silently and inconspicuously. As they made it to the siblings' shared floor, Naruto gave the signal to begin, silently urging his friend to take to the lead, Gaara slipped into his brother's room whilst Naruto went into Temari's. This would be fun.

Minutes later, the two jinchuuriki were running from two angry sand nin, slicing air waves and creepy puppets chasing them. Naruto glanced over to Gaara and had realized he'd never seen him glow so brightly- had never seen him so happy. His eyes were closed because his carefree smile was so stretched, however, whenever he would open them to laugh and look behind him, they would sparkle with mischief and mirth.

Naruto was glad that he had caused the borderline apathetic boy next to him such happiness. Then he thought about how closed off Gaara was when asked what he was thinking about and frowned. _'Why did his brow furrow so deeply, and why did he frown so much? And why did he look almost… nervous about what he was thinking of? And why wouldn't he tell me about it? I was only trying to help.'_

'_**You wouldn't tell him what happened at the Hidden Leaf village; I thought that was a little petty and rude considering **_**he**_** only wanted to help…' **_

'_Shut up, Kyuubi.'_ Then he realized he'd been wondering where the demon was hiding for HOURS. _'Hey, you stupid cat! Where have you been? You ditched me when I needed you most, asshole! What should we do about getting out of here? We're gonna get turned in to the Leaf!' _

'_**I may like your spunk but that doesn't mean I appreciate your constant insults!' **_

Naruto rolled his eyes at the fox demon. _'Yeah, yeah, whatever.'_

'_**Besides, everywhere you go you run the risk of being recognized, kit. You might as well relax and enjoy yourself here with friends.' **_

'_Whatever, Kyuubi,'_ Naruto thought to the demon, _'you're only saying that because Gaara holds the_ Shugaku.' He said the last name in a sing-song voice, teasing the fox.

'_**Sh-shut up!'**_ The fox stuttered at the boy. _**'That's not true! I'm just trying to help you out! I don't know why I bother!' **_After the outburst the fox was strangely quiet, probably sulking in the corners of Naruto's mind. He hadn't meant to make him angry but he supposed it couldn't be helped now.

Suddenly, Temari appeared just in front of the two boys, cutting them off. When trying to double back, they noticed Kankuro had that way blocked as well. They must have enacted this tactical strategy while he was lost in his thoughts, and Gaara was too busy laughing at their expense to notice them as well.

As Temari and Kankuro came closer to them, Naruto and Gaara could see make-up and a dress on Kankuro's puppet, and graffiti covering Temari's fan. Admiring each other's artwork, they couldn't help themselves- they guffawed and laughed themselves to tears.


	16. A Bold and Unexpected Turn Part 1

_[Sasuke] could only stare… as his brother stepped ever closer to his unarmed form. _

"Sasuke," Itachi spoke softly, attempting to regain his trust and attention all at once. Sasuke stubbornly turned his head to the side- he no longer wanted anything to do with his older brother, except to fight a fair fight ending with the elder's death. "Sasuke, look at me." Itachi commanded gently. Sasuke could've laughed had he not been so pissed- how dare his brother try to sound so much like the mother Sasuke had loved and lost.

"Don't," he snapped sharply, his voice choking only in the slightest. Itachi looked shocked and almost horrified that his little brother had refused him and had tears trailing his face. "Don't you _dare_ try to sound like her, like mother." As Itachi attempted to comfort his brother, Sasuke glared up at him with the Sharingan blazing.

Itachi soon composed himself and stated blankly with an edge of steel. "Sasuke, that's enough."

Sasuke's mouth opened then closed, and his Sharingan ceased. His older brother knelt in front of him and said, "Sasuke, I would like to tell you my side of what happened."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said. "I was under the impression that you told me _your_ side of the story."

"No, Sasuke, what I told you before was a lie to try and help speed up the results of your training. You needed so much help, little brother."

Sasuke felt himself blush at the shake of his brother's head. "Then what's the real story, Itachi?" He attempted to take the spotlight off of his own faults and place it back onto Itachi's.

"I was ordered to do it."

Sasuke scoffed. "Really? By whom?"

"Konohagakure's village elders."


	17. A Bold and Unexpected Turn Part 2

_Gaara chuckled sinisterly as well. This would prove to be a very interesting day. _

Gaara felt a laugh bubble up from inside him as Naruto turned and grinned at him through two black eyes and bloated facial bruises. It finally came forth as the blond next to him grimaced at the pain, then Gaara's face followed his example as pain shot through him as well.

Kankuro and Temari only watched them with snickers and smiles on their faces, clearly enjoying the results their attacks had caused. They weren't particularly concerned for the welfare of the children in front of them- they could heal very quickly, making them outstanding opponents.

All were currently in the kazekage's personal infirmary, the older sand siblings claiming to have found the two jinchuuriki in their states and, of course, Gaara and Naruto's tongues had been too swollen to say much in contradiction. However, because Temari and Kankuro had taken out all of their fury on the two already, they had offered to take the demon children out for ice cream- their treat. Now all the kids had to do was wait for the healing process to finish.

Kankuro looked on with slight amazement and Temari watched with unabashed disgust as Naruto pigged out on six liters of ice cream- Gaara simply ignored him and poked at his own carton of the frozen treat. His mind, stubbornly and against his will, kept replaying the smiles Naruto had sent his way during the day and the way they had made him feel. What did these strange emotions mean? He couldn't recall ever feeling them before.

"Gaara? Are you all right?" His older brother asked, snapping him out of his pondering. The young redhead soon realized the question was asked on account of the small frown playing on his features.

"Yes, I'm fine." He smiled inwardly at himself for sounding as he usually did, and keeping a blank expression steady on his face. Kankuro shrugged and turned back to watching the only male blond in the room viciously and morbidly attack the food in front of him.

Gaara turned to his eldest sibling and softly asked, "Temari? Can I talk to you alone?"

She was a little surprised by his sudden request, but nevertheless agreed to it by sillently nodding her head once.

Once they were outside, Gaara led they way into a room rarely used. _'We should have privacy here,'_ he thought, satisfied.

"What is this about, Gaara?" She asked, concerned. This was out of character for her baby brother.

"Temari, I need to ask you…a question." He stated while blushing lightly. Her look only increased as she nodded again.

"What does it mean if someone looks at you and things begin to alter your…internal feelings."

What kind of things are we talking about here, Gaara?" The expression illustrated was becoming less concerned in favor of smirking.

His flush deepened a little. "When your heart beats rapidly, yet it feels like it's stopped, and your cheeks burn, and you feel like you're floating without leaving the ground. Then you experience-"

"Who did you feel all of this for, Gaara?"

Crimson-faced, he answered, "Naruto…" The statement was hardly more than a whisper, however, being a shinobi, for Temari it was enough.

"Gaara," she said slowly, carefully, "I think you have…a crush on Naruto." She waited for his response.

Silence, and then, "a what?"

"A crush." Her eyes widened in realization. "You don't know what a crush is?" She all but shouted.

Gaara immediately shushed her and narrowed his eyes. "Not so loud," he hissed. "I've never known because not one of those near me have ever had to relate that information to me. But now…" Gaara trailed off, blushing, not sure how to end the sentence he started.

"Okay, okay, no need to get defensive." His sister smiled. "A crush means you like Naruto- and _not_ in a friend way, Gaara. You like him as in you want to _date_ him, you know?"

"WHAT?"


	18. A Plan Falling Onto It's Face

They couldn't help themselves- [Naruto and Gaara] guffawed and laughed themselves to tears.

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Kankuro wondered aloud.

Naruto smirked mischievously. "We could put our spying and stalking skills to the test…." He trailed off, letting Kankuro piece together the rest of what the blond male was about to say.

Kankuro joined in on the younger's chuckle.

The puppetmaster stumbled with a gasp and the blond jinchuuriki fell with a yelping bark as the door the two had been leaning on was opened. Looking down at the ninja sprawled on the ground, Gaara asked blankly, "What are you doing?"

Naruto, although his head was pounding and Kyuubi was making it worse by _screaming_ at him, grinned up at his friend. "He slapped me, so I was chasing him and then he fell and I tripped over him, and we just happened to be outside the door when it all took place." He finished the fib with an innocent grin, hoping Gaara couldn't tell Kankuro was on top of the two-man pile. Gaara continued to look down at him.

After a pause, the redhead rolled his eyes and muttered, "how childish." Naruto wished it was because of the story itself and not that the young kazekage had seen through the fabulously well-crafted lie.

"So, does anyone want to do anything?" Kankuro asked, trying to get off the blond.

Temari glanced out of the black window. "Kankuro, do you have any idea what time it is? I'm going back to bed…." With that, she sent a mischievous wink Gaara's way and smirked, sauntering off as her youngest brother glared shurikens and kunai.

Naruto was irretrievably confused. "What did she look at you like that for, Gaara?"

Gaara grunted angrily. "Nothing. I'm going to my resting chambers." He snapped and stalked away stiffly.

Naruto sent his uncomprehending expression to Kankuro, who returned it and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me, I'm just as lost as you are."

So as he snuggled under the unbelievably warm bedding, his thoughts drifted to what Gaara and Temari had talked about and how he could find out what it was.


	19. Forgiveness?

"_I was ordered to [kill the clan]." _

_Sasuke scoffed. "Really? By whom?_

_By Konohagakure's village elders._

Sasuke was surprised by his older brother's answer until he realized one fact: it was completely ludicrous.

"Don't be ridiculous, Itachi," Sasuke spat nervously, looking down, "they would never do that to their own people."

"They feared the clan was getting too strong and would rise up against the village in support of Madara Uchiha. The fools were under the assumption that we believed the elders were in the wrong for not allowing him to be Hokage, _even though _we'd lived among them peacefully for years. They also believed the only one strong enough to defeat an Uchiha _was_ an Uchiha."

"So, you volunteered for the job," said the junior venomously. "I'm sure Mom and Dad would be proud."

"I was _drafted_ into it, otouto." Itachi snapped, losing his calm for the first time. "I was only to kill the supposed leaders of the fantastical conspiracy, however, everyone else got in my way and left me no choice." He spat in an angry yet clinical tone. "If I hadn't done it," he added quietly, "they would've killed the children and the elderly; they would've killed you."

When Sasuke felt his face soften and his defenses weaken, he hardened and strengthened them once more. "So what made you change your mind about _me_ then? Why did you decide to tell me all of this now?" He remembered all too well the fear of dying that fateful night, and the heartbreak he'd experienced when his brother had said he wasn't good enough, had told Sasuke to hate him, and had walked away. "You told me I wasn't even _worth_ killing." He said in a dangerously low voice. Suddenly his head snapped up, and his eyes burned ferociously. "You left me there, Itachi; you told me to hate you, to _kill_ you. All of your effort was for what- to trick me into becoming a better ninja? I was only seven years old! I loved you…! You were my idol, my world, my aniki," he whispered. He hadn't noticed his brother come up to him until strong, lithe arms wrapped around him comfortingly.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry. Please, don't be upset anymore." Itachi soothed, running his fingers through Sasuke's silky hair. It had always amazed Itachi how much abuse his little brother's hair could take and still managed to stay soft and glowing. Sasuke hadn't realized he was crying until Itachi was wiping salt water from his cheeks and he found that his body had begun to shake mysteriously. Why was he sobbing so hard?

Too exhausted to put up much of a fight, he simply allowed Itachi to rock him and whisper sweet comforts in his ear- he _would_ shove him away later, of course.

For now, he would simply listen to the warm fire crackle soothingly (when did that get there?). Chirping birds were replaced by crickets singing soft, intricate lullaby arias as Itachi signaled to Kisame that it was safe to come in and Sasuke drifted off to a better, happier universe in his dreams.


	20. Serenity

"_You like [Naruto] as in you want to date him, you know?" _

"_WHAT?"_

'_When, or rather how, could this possibly have occurred?'_ Gaara was experiencing emotions he hadn't in quite a few years: anxiety and fright. Questions rushed through his imagination at impossible speeds.

'What if he doesn't "Crush" me back? Why do I care? What if he does? What happens then? Why do I _care_? What if we do date, and it doesn't end well? Will we be able to remain friends? _WHY_ DO I _CARE_?

He uncharacteristically groaned and rolled out of his useless bed. He walked over to the window, though his bodyguards were constantly reminding that he was a "-kage" now and "had to be more cautious being such," to look out at the village. It was beautiful in the luminous moonlight, and it gave the demon child a kind of transcendentalist feeling. Growling angrily and shoving himself away from the scene, Gaara shook it off, flowing at himself for being capable of such a thing as "Crush" and mushy-gushy romantic feelings.

He moved to his bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling out a worn and badly taken care of leather-bound journal. Temari and Kankuro had purchased it for him months ago, and he had used it for various poems, and random journal entries. He turned to a blank page and began to draw a black-and-white illustration. It was a pathetic voodoo doll with negative words, many needles, and so many stitches you would have thought it was Kakuzu's illegitimate son. (1)

After a few minutes of adding extra detail to create a more realistic illusion, Gaara pushed it aside after realizing it was looking less like a voodoo doll, and more like a certain blond, floating on his subconscious.

With a second groan, he gathered his sand and glided outside. He felt and relished in the cold, smooth air dancing gracefully across his skin. No one knew that the young man took pride in these small things such as fresh air and performing and creative arts- and he preferred it that way. He was always taught that "pansies" and "faggots" finished alongside the nice guys- in last place. No one liked or appreciated or respected the ones with sensitivities, so Gaara read his Shakespeare and Homer in the private confines of his bedroom. Ninja and citizens were under strict orders to knock and wait for confirmation before entering.

Gaara moved closer to the window and sat upon it's sill, watching as a blood red sun rose, silently smiling to himself.

_What a beautiful morning. _

(1) This is a drawing that I drew and I thought it would be one the best drawings of mine for Gaara to "have." ^-^


	21. Questions Part 2

…_as [Naruto] snuggled under the unbelievably warm bedding, his thoughts drifted to what Gaara and Temari had talked about, and how he could find out what it was. _

The following morning, Naruto was up and moving fairly early because he had gotten sleep the night before.

He wandered the halls of the tower until he came across his destination. He knocked on the door and, once it opened, came face-to-face with his target.

"Why hello, Temari!" He greeted cheerfully. _'If I can't find out from Gaara, then maybe she'll tell me.'_

"What do you want, Naruto?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

'_Watch this and learn how to manipulate, Kyuubi.' _

'_**Oh, I will. Trust me…'**_ the demon laughed. Naruto ignored the fox's skepticism, and sent the blond girl his most charming smile.

"I just wanted to let you know how absolutely stunning you look this morning."

With a roll of the eyes, she snapped, "Get to the point."

"No really, you're positively ravishing with glowing and unspoken beauty." He tried once more. After she gave a pointed look, Naruto caved. "I need to know what you and Gaara were talking about yesterday."

'_**She's so easily manipulated,'**_ Kyuubi snickered.

'_Shut up.'_

"Hmm…" she feigned concentration, then faced him and smiled. "Sorry, can't say."

Kyuubi couldn't hold back his amusement as he let out a bark of mirth. Naruto mentally growled.

'_Shut up!'_

"It's not my place to say," Temari elaborated, "it's Gaara's- have you tried him yet?"

"Yes…" the genin grumbled.

"And…?" She smirked.

"He said 'Nothing; I'm going to bed.'" Naruto replied in what Temari thought of as a rather gruff and therefore poor imitation of her brother.

"I can talk to him for you if you're not man enough to handle him yourself." She had a faux innocence around her Naruto noticed.

He scowled. "I can do it myself! I swear to you right here and now that I'll make him tell me what was said!"

Temari grinned as he ran off, and Naruto failed to notice her send a mischievous wink to Kankuro, who returned it, albeit, immensely confused.


	22. On the Road Again

_Chirping birds were replaced by crickets singing soft and intricate lullaby arias, as Itachi signaled to Kisame that it was safe to come in, and Sasuke drifted to a better, happier universe in his dreams. _

The youngest surviving Uchiha slowly opened his eyes, stretching out his limbs and yawning. "Oh, Sleeping Beauty's finally conscious." Kisame grinned as Sasuke glared.

"Let him alone, Kisame." Itachi scolded gently, sounding much like the mother both Uchihas had had lost. Kisame shrugged and turned back to the breakfast he was making on the fire.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, giving his brother an awkward smile. Sasuke's first reaction was anger at having his brother so close, however, remembering their talk from last night, he smiled a clumsy smile as well. He figured it was time to reconcile of Itachi was already willing to. "Better Itachi, thank you." As soon as his older brother turned away, the smile became wary. Even though he was considering that perhaps bygones should be bygones (wouldn't their mother want that?), he couldn't let his guard down so easily.

He could never forget what Itachi, what his aniki, was capable of.

Although he wouldn't show it, Itachi felt lighter than the air surrounding him inside the mountainous cavern. Sasuke had forgiven him! His little brother, his otouto, had forgiven him! If he hadn't been an Uchiha, and had been less vain, he felt he would've done a happy dance. Well… maybe not, but still.

Kisame noticed Itachi's smile and the song that the eldest raven was humming to himself, and gathered their breakfast, grinning. He didn't think he'd ever seen Itachi in such a good mood; the Uchiha was just _too_ cute.

"Breakfast is ready," he called.

After Kisame had teased his older brother and Itachi had shoved his fist into the blue man's nose, Sasuke had to admit that spending time with these two was relatively easy to do- he chose to ignore all three's first awkward and silent bites of their breakfast.

Maybe it wasn't _so_ bad after all.

"So, what were you doing wandering around in the desert? Didn't it occur to you something like this could happen?" Kisame turned his bruised and blood-smeared face in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke couldn't even retaliate as he suddenly remembered why he was in this predicament in this first place. "Naruto!"

"So it was your boyfriend, eh?" The shark man laughed as he dodged two rice bowls flung at his head.

"Shut up, Fish-Face!" Sasuke defended, blushing.

"Hey! You shouldn't go around calling people 'Fish-Face!' Right, Itachi? You need to make him behave!" Kisame chuckled boyishly as Itachi only glared at him from behind the collar that covered half of his face.

Sasuke pushed himself up, and made his way to the cave's entrance. "Where are you going, mini I-tan?" Kisame asked him. "I was out there looking for Naruto. I have to find him." The youngest replied.

"Huh? You mean the blond jinchuuriki?"

Sasuke anime gasped. "You know where he is?"

"Sure! He's in Suna, isn't he, Itachi?"

"I guess," he agrees rather shortly- he still seemed to be pouting. Sasuke and Kisame turned toward each other then gave him twin looks.

"What's with you?" Kisame asked.

"Nothing." Itachi snapped coldly, turning away from both his brother and his partner. Sasuke sighed and asked apprehensively, "Itachi…would you like to help me find my way back over there? You too, Kisame?"

The two Akatsuki members jumped up and ran out toward Sunagakure at the opportunity, dragging Sasuke along with them.


	23. Childish Games

_What a beautiful morning. _

'What a horrible day,' Gaara thought as the children decided that it was a "fun" game to see how many of the cretins could cling to his hair, face and clothes.

His minions had thought it a necessary evil to take care of orphans and daycare children for good publicity. His siblings had fawned and drooled at how "cute" the children were. However, they things had turned rowdy after Snack Time, they had fled, leaving Gaara to take care of thirty-eight on his own.

"Gaara-kage-san!" One girl was screeched at the top of her lungs, aiming her voice at his not-so-deaf ear. "GAARA-KAGE-SAAAAN!"

"WHAT?" He shouted, his remaining patience quickly draining.

"My leg hurts!"

"Where?"

"At the placenta…"

"The what?" Did she mean patella? "At the patella?"

"The PLACENTA!" Apparently she'd sent the others a coded battle cry, for they all let go only to tackle the shrieking young man to the floor. Gaara was about to use Sand Burial on the little asswipes when the doorbell to the daycare center, The Hooberbloob Highway, rang. All individuals inside froze as they realized that some unsuspecting victim lay just on the other side of the door.

Gaara shoved the hideous creatures and monsters away and started for the door. Once it had opened, he discovered one Naruto Uzumaki outside, grinning.

"So Gaara…what are you up to?" He asked, giggling as he glanced over the leader's shoulder. "Playing 'Mommy' for a day?" He could no longer hold back his amusement as the redhead gave him a full-on glare. However, Naruto let out a yelp the other found to be quite humorous as Gaara grasped his arm and dragged him into the Hell along with him.

The kazekage smirked at his blond friend. "You could say that, and I'm enlisting, no, drafting you into playing 'Daddy.'"


	24. Deja Vu For Naruto

Temari grinned as [Naruto] ran off, and Naruto failed to notice her send mischievous wink to Kankuro, who returned it, albeit, immensely confused.

Naruto gulped. He'd only meant to find Gaara and ask him what he and Temari had talked about. However, when he'd noticed the anger-ridden teen was taking care of a bunch of little kids, he couldn't resist teasing him about it.

Now he understood what he had gotten himself into as the kids began to use himself and the sand ninja next to him as trampolines. However, using his ultimate quick thinking skills and epic singing, he had somehow managed to serenade the mischievous devils to sleep.

Now he and Gaara were slouching on the couch, not moving for fear of disturbing the children's light slumber.

"Hey, Gaara?" Naruto whispered cautiously.

"Yes, Naruto?" The Sunagakure leader mumbled exhaustedly, seeming to be falling into blissful unconsciousness like the children.

"Can I ask you a question?" He was trying to be as serious as he possibly could be with his friend without, of course, waking the babies.

A sigh, "yes."

"Will you promise to answer, and answer truthfully?"

Gaara opened one tired eye. "Was _is_ it, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed and looked down at the ground, not sure why he felt so nervous about a simple question that probably didn't matter. Why did the answer concern him so much? "What were you and Temari talking about yesterday?" He could see Gaara's breath catch in his throat.

"Why must you know, Naruto?"

"I don't know, just curious I guess…"

"Well, Naruto," Gaara said, sighing again, "I can honestly tell you that if you were to understand the information of our conversation, and the findings thereof, it would very likely mean the end of our relationship." He stated this all matter-of-factly and distantly, as if simply conversing with the blond over the weather. However, both jinchuuriki had lightly blushed when the redhead had said "relationship."

Naruto opened his mouth to respond but then closed it in a silent groan as the children began to awaken.

'Here we go again…'

Surprisingly, the children were fairly well behaved once Naruto had come up with the ingenious idea of taking them outside to expel their energy. Once they wanted to play games in teams though, trouble began.

Naruto and Gaara had been quietly talking about ways to keep their inner demons in check with verbal communication, when the blond noticed something that offended him deeply. Kyo, a six-year-old boy and some of his friends had made up one team and most of the others had assembled in another. Although there were two children left and it was the second team's turn to choose, the opposing teams' captains, Kyo and Miki, were arguing over the "last" choice. Naruto hurried over before a _physical_ fight could break out.

"What's the problem here?" He asked in an Iruka-sensei type of way.

"Miki-chan wanted Sora, but that leaves me with this _freak_!" Kyo whined.

"You were going to do the same!" His sibling accused.

Naruto did not fail to notice that, although he himself had flinched at the children's behavior and Gaara had narrowed his eyes at the word "freak," the child in question only stood there while hanging his head, listening to the insult.

"Oh yeah?" Kyo challenged.

"Yeah!" Miki shot back.

"Enough (1)," Naruto whispered, voice dangerous.

As the two continued to bicker, and the wanted played their antagonist by staying quiet, the rest cheered them on. Naruto felt his blood begin to boil.

"ENOUGH!" He roared, immediately gaining the attention of everyone within a ten-mile vicinity. "Kyo, if Miki has chosen Sora then you must honor that. That is part of being a good sport."

Kyo pouted as Miki stuck her tongue out at him. "I guess," he mumbled.

"As for the _both_ of you," Naruto said, continuing his reproach, "I honestly don't see _anything_ wrong with Takeshi-chan, do you?" He pressed, gaze passing between the two.

"No…" Miki said, defeated.

"He's not like us! He's not normal!" Kyo burst out with suddenly.

"Kyo!" Miki hissed, clearly not wishing to make Naruto any more upset than he already was.

"What makes him different, huh? What makes him any different than any of you?" Naruto growled, trying not to raise his voice again. "Have you even spoken to him before?"

"Well, no…" Kyo regained his confidence in his conclusion of the other child. "But I heard that he-"

"Hearing about someone and knowing it for yourself is the difference between assuming and understanding; fact and fiction." Naruto said.

Kyo looked as though he wanted to protest for a moment, then sighed and turned to Takeshi. "Sorry, kid. Wanna be on my team?"

Takeshi looked up from the ground with forest-green eyes half-hidden by jet-black bangs and smiled.

"I'd like that."

At the end of the afternoon, parents took their respective children home and Naruto accompanied Gaara along the posts and gates of the border for routine checkups. Coming across the main gate into the village however, they noticed three figures moving toward it.

As the shadows moved closer, Naruto's eyes widened at his own misfortunate bad luck. The foreign ninja approached and waited patiently at the gate to state their business and be let in.

Once they were on Gaara's orders, Naruto got a clear view of the two sets of red and black robes a certain fifteen-year-old were with.

"Sasuke?"

In case you don't remember, chapter one was named "Enough" when Naruto was going through some of the "same" stuff in Konoha.

A/N: I know that this was a random-crap chapter, but it's somewhat necessary for the climax of the story (hopefully), so it's kind at what I like a "'filler'-chapter'-in-the-middle-of-a-nonsensical-story." Yes, yes, I know; long name.

I will accept flames at this time.

***~_ **We're All To Blame** _~***


	25. Reunion and Information

_The two Akatsuki members jumped up and ran out toward Sunagakure at the opportunity, dragging Sasuke along with them._

Sasuke continued to stare down Naruto's shocked expression with blank one of his own. Although his face showed no feeling, much like his brother's and Gaara's in front them, his emotions were surging. Anger, joy, nervousness, and a bit of envy were all variables included in the equation of questions racking his mind, and the intangible war waging in his chest.

'_What could he _possibly_ be doing _here_? Does he enjoy making me worry? Making me bust _my ass_ trying to find him, to make sure he's and he's _here_? What does Suna have for him that Konoha doesn't? It's his home village! Don't his friends matter to him anymore? Doesn't he care about us…? …About me…?_

Sasuke couldn't help but be a little hurt at the illustration his dobe's face was showing. He couldn't care, it wasn't possible with the rage he was emitting.

"Naruto…" he breathed.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" Naruto said shortly, narrowing his eyes. "Did Kakashi and Sakura send their little prodigy to recover the deadweight."

The youngest raven in the five-person group noticeably flinched at the harsh sound Naruto spat out at him. Yes, he was definitely pissed at the leaf village, but the young Uchiha had been hoping that the blond would have been calmed down enough before he found him to, at the very least, consider coming back it was a wasted dream.

How much emotional abuse had he allowed his friend to be put through? Or worse, how much had he himself put Naruto through? All he could to at the moment, though, was answer the sunshine head's question.

No, Naruto, I came here on my own accord. No one knew about this, no one asked me to do this." It was a small lie to say no one knew considering he'd borrowed Pakkun, but he could hardly take it back without Naruto becoming even more cynical then he already was.

"You mean no one wanted you to." The fox "kit" snapped. "Oh, and in case you're wondering? That includes me." With that, Naruto simply walked away, leaving Gaara with Sasuke and his two Akatsuki companions.

"It may not be my business to ask upon, but is there any reason as to why Naruto attitude toward you is so negative?" The redheaded kazekage asked.

"It's kind of a long story, too long to tell you right now at least." The raven sighed. How could he continued his Naru-chan to come back with him? Maybe he should ask Gaara for, ahem, assistance (not help), later.

"Then perhaps I could at least inquire into the reason you brought them on your journey to find Naruto. I am the head of this village after all."

Sasuke sighed again. He didn't really want to go through all of the formalities with Gaara- he wanted to re-find Naruto and apologize for himself and the village and have Naruto take him into his arms and forgive him. But the raven knew that it would a be an unrealized dream because neither had forgotten that Sasuke himself had deserted Konoha when he'd no longer felt it right for him to stay. And he knew that talking with the kazekage was a necessary evil, so he followed the redheaded youth to the other's tower to relate the information to him.


	26. Confusion n' Frustration in Modern Times

_The kazekage smirked at his blond friend. 'You could say that, and I'm enlisting, no, drafting you into playing 'Daddy.'"_

Once again Gaara's thoughts resembled a raging storm of questions, as much as they had been when Naruto, the unpredictable and hyperactive idiot that he was, had first arrived. The topic covered this time: why were these two leaf ninja and other two S-ranked Akatsuki criminals inside his village at this present moment?

Sasuke had already filled him in on information he held of their current situation. However, there were the missing links of Naruto empathy and logic states of mind still needing to be known. '_Why was he here?_' That question still needed to be answered to the youth.

Even the insightful youngest Uchiha had already told Gaara that he wasn't certain about the blond; he only had a theory about his feelings. When the young kazekage had asked on this, though, the raven had avoided using complete answers, saying in their stead that he didn't have stable information.

So now it was back to Square One for the increasingly frustrated young man. Gaara was determined to receive the answer to everyone's strange behavior, however; even if he had to do the unthinkable.

He stole his arm across his desk, reaching for the day's work needing to be done. The mountain he'd finished only an hour ago had returned with reassured vengeance. The youth scowled- his staff must be amusing themselves with his misery.

Yet again (and too many times for his liking), Gaara, the sixth kazekage for the Sunagakure village, sighed at the workload waiting to be completed.

Gaara could've cried. In fact, if he'd have had any working tear ducts to speak of he might have done just that. Finishing the paperwork set out for him had always been too joyous an occasion for the young redhead to properly handle. However, now he was at a loss of something to occupy his time.

The two Akatsuki members had been given a housing room with two beds, two small bathrooms, and a slightly larger kitchen- as did the rooms given to Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.

The young man turned his iced-green-blue eyes to the turning doorknob and exhaled inwardly. How would he ever get to the bottom to these mysteries if he was continuously lost within avalanches and whirlpools of useless paper?

A lightbulb glowing above his head caused Gaara of the Desert to leap from his leather seat, and, as the door opened to reveal his apologetic secretary, mumble, "I'm going out," and sprint for the outer building doors before she could react.

He would find the answers to these riddles if it took until the end of his days.

The raccoon-eyed, Goth-looking youth traveled down the streets of the village he'd sworn to protect. Suna still has increased numbers in cruelty in its youths. Gaara noted, sullen and angry as he strolled past a group of children who were currently excluding another for being different. As he walked toward the child who reminded him a little of himself, he recalled Naruto's reactions to the same demonstrations of the day before with Takeshi, Kyo and his sister Miki. Gaara also remembered that Naruto had exited some qualities that were good for raising his own kids one day. He blushed angered and embarrassed at the "giddy" feeling that was still swimming around inside of his intestines. How could he have possibly fallen for that idiot? Especially that male idiot?

The leader inwardly groaned just as he reached the child. He attempted his best "Naruto smile" as he did his best to make the kid feel better.

He would not be bested by his love interest.

"Hello, child." Gaara greeted rather awkwardly. _Nice,_ he thought to himself in irritation. _You would have been better off asking him, 'Fare thee well this evening?'_

The kid looked up at him in mild terror and blatant shock and Gaara nearly took a step backward, before his face took on an expression of determination. "Are you alright?"

The child's eyes shone with such hopefulness at a companion that Gaara's chest twisted horribly. "I'm okay. I'm just spending time with my friends." She blushed, darting her eyes toward the group of kids who seemed not to mind the fact she was not with them.

"Those are friends of yours?" Gaara asked. At the girl's nod, he gave her a look of pure skepticism. Then, she dropped her head and sighed heavily.

"Not friends,_ exactly_," she admitted, looking back up at his face, her eyes slightly filled with hot salt water.

It was the elder's turn to sigh. He was shaken at the pure, unadulterated mirror sitting on the swings in front of him. "Then I'll be your friend."

He might regret later….


	27. You Can't Hide

"Sasuke?"

How did he find me? What should I do; where should I go now? Naruto was panicking, placing inside of his borrowed room. He couldn't return to Konoha and pretend everything would be alright- he'd deserted them.

**I guess that doesn't make you any better than that damned Akatsuki organization. Now does it? **Kyuubi snickered. Naruto was too nervous, and was concentrating too hard to pay him any mind.

He continued to meander in circles around his room and could've begun to leave an indention of his path in the floor, had there not been a knock on the door.

A pale, tremulous hand twisted the knob and pulled, granting entry to the unwelcome, unwanted, and unknown visitor. The door opened to reveal that none other than Uchiha Sasuke, one of the two people Naruto wanted to see least of all, was in his very midst. Sasuke wrenched the wooden plank from Naruto's grasp when the blond mass tried to return it to its previously closed state. The raven pushed his way past, then looked at the Uzumaki child dead in the eye.

"Naruto, we need to talk."

"What the hell, Naruto? What were you thinking?" Sasuke rounded on the blond as soon as the door had been closed. Twenty-four hours of searching for an idiot blond and being kidnapped by a fishy-faced blue man so he could have a conversation with his psychopath brother, was not putting him in a mood to be very understanding at the moment.

"I was thinking that I'd had enough of your competitive and all-around douchebag attitude, Kakashi's favoritism, Konoha's constant insults and disbelief in me and my character, and last but definitely not least, that total bitch, Sakura! That's what I was thinking when I left.

Sasuke was taken aback. He had no idea Naruto had felt this way; he'd always believed the fox jinchuuriki just took all of those obstacles and made himself better for them. Though, when he thought about it, perhaps he should have seen it- the feelings that Konoha didn't understand what he needed and was only holding him back were once Sasuke's. Now, however, he needed to find a way to make this thick-headed dobe understand what his feelings had turned into.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. Truly I am."

Naruto's expression went from angry to shocked at the raven's apology, however, after a moment it did another emotional 180 degree turn. "I don't believe that, Sasuke. I think you were just having too much fun trying to wear down my confidence, and you don't want to lose that amusement. Well guess what, Uchiha? You did. You broke my resolve to stay in that hellhole and now you don't have any competition for being the best.

"Isn't that why you went with Orochimaru and his silly Sound ninja in the first place? To become so powerful that you could defeat your brother in battle? How's that going? He seemed more than alive and quite well when he walked alongside you into this village.

"And let's say you _had_, by some miracle, killed him. Then what would you have done, Sasuke? You would be alone without any friends, or family, or anyone you had grown up with? But I suppose that's what you wanted though, right? _God!_ I can't _believe_ I once thought we were friends! It's clear that you never gave a fuck about anyone else!"

Sasuke watched the boy before him close his eyes as he sank onto his bed. The young avenger took a step toward his pissed off friend, attempting to comfort him.

"Get out."

"Naruto…." The raven tried.

"GET THE _FUCK_ OUT!" A second later, he stood outside and the door was closed, separating the two Leaf nin.

Sasuke sighed and walked away from the blond's room towards the one Gaara had generously provided for him. How could Sasuke begin to make Naruto understand that he'd left for Orochimaru because he had been humiliated by those four Sound ninja he hadn't particularly wanted to fight against in the first place? That he'd returned to Konoha because he'd missed the dobe (though he could never admit it?) That he'd continued to stay through Naruto's persisting achievements and excellence was because his feelings of friendship had become those of romance?

He sighed again as he guessed he never would.

Uchiha Sasuke crawled into his bed and turned out the light, determined not to repeat the history of only a day before, and keep a certain blond idiot out of his dreams.


	28. Dreams

**A/N: So this chapter was written before the last chapter's notice so it's probably not as long as any have wanted, however, this one has my first attempt at a lemon so please tell me if you like it, or how it could be better if you didn't. Thanks! ^_^**

* * *

_[Gaara] was shaken at the pure, unadulterated mirror sitting in front of him. "Then I'll be your friend." He might regret this later._

After the first two hours, Gaara lost track of the time. Yet, at the first few dustings of twilight, he escorted the young girl to the location at which she had said her house was. Her mother had answered the door and once the small girl had given her goodbyes and goodnights, the older woman pulled the kazekage aside. "It wasn't necessary for you to look after her- after all, it isn't your job to do so," she told him, her smile not evident on her face, but hidden within her eyes. Both of these things Gaara noticed made him shift slightly, albeit unnoticeably, in his discomfort.

"On the contrary, it is well within the description of the kazekage to look after the wellbeing of the citizens." He spoke this in little more than a mumble. 'Besides that, the hope in her eyes had been too similar to my own at that age.' He thought, unnerved.

After a few more pleasantries, feeble attempts at a smooth conversation, and awkward pauses, Gaara eventually bowed to the woman and began a lengthy journey across the village to his bedroom. As he walked, he thought back on the situation that had driven him from his office mere hours ago: the arrival of Sasuke and his two Akasuki companions. Gaara had been given the impression since his talk with Naurto a few days ago, that something had happened between him and the Hidden Leaf village. He was even more confident in his conclusion; however, he still had yet to gather information from either of the parties. Neither seemed eager to "spill the beans" as one might coin the term. But why was Naruto so out of character, and why were two S-ranked Akatsuki criminals accompanying Sasuke to Suna in any case?

His abdomen emitted a strangled, pained sound, and he sighed as he headed to the kitchens for a late meal. After considering the only two choices at the moment- natto or ramen, he decided to eat fermented soy beans.

Walking into the dining area and sitting at the head of his table, his thoughts turned to what he had to do the following day. He realized with unease that he had yet to check on any of his guests comfort and stay. Now, it must be held at the top most priority on his list. He also had to figure out a way to get Naruto out of his village before his entire conductivity was compromised- perhaps it had been already.

He blushed to imagine how it could have gotten this bad. Even only thinking the blond had profound effects on his face, the comfort of his stomach, and the comfort the region slightly lower than his abdomen, all of which made the kazekage wonder what the hell a "crush", as Temari had termed it, came with. He could ask the other blond nightmare in his situation, however, this would only increase her enjoyment in his misery and confusion. Asking Kankuro could be useful, but perhaps he would go back to Temari with the information….? Though perhaps a few vague threats would cancel those premonitions….

These thoughts were beginning to grate on his nerves, and he welcomed ones of sleep and of the mountains of paperwork that would be waiting for him tomorrow. Finishing his natto, he headed off for his chambers, getting ready for the sweet self-induced unconsciousness to carry him far from his current worries.

_Feverish kisses were placed continuously on his face and neck, coving every inch of the skin. Labored breathing and hands being run through his hair only added to the thrilled beats in the young man's chest. Moaning softly, he pressed the other male further into his embrace, causing the two of them to fall back and crash onto a bed that had been previously unnoticed._

_Suddenly, and without and recollected memory on Gaara's part, both men became completely nude and Naruto's hands were leaving burning trails of desire wherever they landed along the redhead's skin. Without warning, one of the blonde's hands flew to the smaller man's chest, the other to his groin. Gaara gasped loudly, trying unsuccessfully to pry the invaders away until the hand below the sheets, which had been thrown haphazardly upon them while Gaara had not been paying attention, began to move. Up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down. It slowly increased its speed; faster and faster until Gaara's breaths become just as erratic as his heartbeat._

_Gaara had never known such pleasure through the entirety of his existence as the hand on his chest began to move in time with the one below his waist. He clutched to Naruto's shoulders as the other leaned down and continued their passionate kisses from before._

_As he felt the pressure his in blood and between his legs begin to rise, he begged Naruto to stop his ministrations though his body screamed for the opposite. He was torn between the pleasurable torture of the tightness in his groin, and the embarrassment he was sure the release would bring when he experienced a foreign, tugging sensation. And then again, harder this time then the last. _

_He silently yelled to a fading Naruto, asking what could possibly be happening, when he finally came to realize the other boy was gone. He was tugged again._

Gaara sat up gasping and in a cold sweat, bathed in a filthy pool in his own fluids. He groaned, letting his head fall back into the disgusting bedding and pillow. This would be the fourth time he'd have to change his sheets. If he hadn't had a brother to blame the mess on he'd have been caught in the act long ago. Then again, maybe his siblings and staff had known all along and simply didn't wish to confront him about the situation, until he had confronted it himself.

This was truly getting old. Sometimes he wished he were a girl if only so he wouldn't waken to these embarrassing middle-of-the-night and early morning problems. Then, he remembered Temari's mysterious and frankly annoying mood swings each month and remained satisfied with his current gender.

He quickly stripped the bed and discarded the evidence into Kankuro's laundry, finding freshly washed bedding tucked away in his cabinets. Changing the sheets, he lay back down and forbade himself from longing for unspeakable, _unthinkable_ thing about Naruto.

But even as he closed his cool, mint-green orbs and felt the fabric of his consciousness once again slipping through his fingers, he found blue eyes laughing at some unspoken joke and blond hair tickling his nose and face.

* * *

**A/N: Only about half as long as my usual chapter length, but it's a start right? Well anyway, please tell me what you think! **


	29. Companionship Lost

_Uchiha Sasuke crawled into his bed and turned out the light, determined not to repeat the history of only a day before, and keep a certain blond idiot out of his dreams._

A pale chest gently rose its blankets upward and down, as dark eyes under equally pale lids fluttered, attempting to find sweet, restful slumber. All seemed calm and quiet until the pale chest suddenly heaved a sigh, and those equally pale lids snapped open to reveal their flashing dark eyes. Sasuke angrily shoved the top half of his bedding away and swung his feet over the side so he could stalk his way to the window overlooking Gaara's village. It was no use. The raven would never have a good night's sleep as long as Naruto was only a few doors down and so irreversibly angry with him. He knew he hadn't always been nice, or even_ civil_, with the blond most of the time, but he'd never seen the other look so pissed off, so uncharacteristic, so _defeated_. Sasuke also knew that most of the village still held a grudge against the fact that Naruto carried the fox demon Kyuubi within the depths of his heart and mind- and he'd never made the weight any easier to bear. But the Uchiha had always known, at first reluctantly, that Naruto was his favorite person to deal with and to be around. They'd always balanced one another in their rivalry, in their friendship, and in what the former avenger had hoped would someday be more.

The teenaged raven wasn't completely sure when or how his feelings toward the blond idiot had blossomed into fantasizing about the two in rather obscene and intimate positions. All he _was_ sure of was that he needed to find a way to make that baka understand the reason he left Konoha after being such an ass to him. Why he couldn't handle the progressions Naruto made after Sasuke had received Orochimaru's mark. Why he trained under the purple pervert, who possessed far too many pictures of that other male sanin, and then eventually left. Why he couldn't kill Naruto at the Valley of the End. Sure, he wanted to rid the world and his mind of his brother Itachi, but it went far deeper than that, unfortunately.

Somehow, somewhere on the twisted path of the avenger's life, he'd fallen for the idiot who'd stolen his first kiss.

Sasuke had tried to squash the feelings at first by ignoring the yellow nuisance, then by being snarky and rude. But Naruto had still managed to weasel his way into Sasuke's thoughts, actions, belief system, and heart. He'd nearly chosen Naruto over his broken heart and pride for his fallen clan- until Orochimaru had come along. Years after he had left however, he returned to Konoha, and though he still held a grudge against his older brother, he'd hoped his life would go back to "normal" again.

But nothing could ever be normal anymore. Not after he and the rest of their god-forsaken village had finally broken Naruto emotionally. Not after the blond fled to the demon wings of a redhead who could understand his feelings of solitude better than Sasuke ever would. Not after the blond refused to talk to, or even look at the raven properly since his arrival in Sunagakure. Not after the very person he'd loathed the most in the world had been the reason for his survival in the desert. Not after that same person then revealed to him that his hatred had been in vain because it had been to Konoha elders, not Itachi, truly responsible for the horror Sasuke had experienced that night eight years ago.

Itachi.

Sasuke couldn't help the fluttering of anxiety in his abdomen thinking aout his older brother, about the man with nearly constant scowling red eyes. He didn't always hold expressions like that, though. The elder Uchiha with the long, silky black hair used to send the younger the most charming smiles in those faraway days in which they were closer. Sasuke used to look up to his brother with the greatest adoration and respect until his aniki had shown him what his was truly capable of. Sasuke, if he was going to believe everything he had once been told was true had really been false, still had to proceed with caution- he couldn't reconcile the two images of a smiling, loving aniki, and a sneering, mocking murderer. If Sasuke was truly honest with himself, which he knew he wasn't, he'd see that it was the close bonds, the genuinely loving smiles that had made him feel the most betrayed. Had made his gentle and naïve heart into the calloused stone it was today- not the murder of his entire clan, but the fact that Itachi had ridiculed him and told him he wasn't good enough to kill.

He still had a lot to think about; perhaps it wasn't the situation or the choice that was more complex than it used to seem. Perhaps it was simply Itachi himself that had more layers that originally met the eye. An unexpected knock at the door sent the youngest surviving Uchiha reeling from his ponderings, and his gaze to the door. What could anyone possibly want at this late, or likely very early, hour? Didn't they know he could have been sleeping? He opened the door to reveal who he believed was the most cold-blooded, dangerous, hated, and difficult ninja figure out Sasuke had ever known.

"Hello, Itachi."

Had anyone sleepless been gazing down from their windows at around three-thirty that morning, they'd have struggled to breathe through the thick tension emanating from two dark-and-pale both radiating and shadowed from the moonlight. And had they caught eyes with them, they might have been bitterly amused to think that still more demons had entered Suna.

The two brothers who contrasted the monochrome color surrounding them as they walked the streets, did so in an uneasy and awkward silence before Sasuke decided to break their unspoken rule. "Why would you wait all of these years to finally tell me what you say is the truth? Why would you go through steps to leave and tell me to hate you, if you were only going to fuck that all up later?" He asked heatedly, blushing slightly at the look his brother gave him for his vulgarity.

"As I said earlier: at the time, I thought it would be the best thing for you. You'd be more focused in your training, safe in the village, and wouldn't have been torn away from your home." The other said simply.

"How could you possibly have thought that?" Sasuke snapped. In the back of his mind, he entertained the notion that he might have been too loud responding, but "at the time" he couldn't bring himself to care enough to stop. "How could you think that growing up without a family to love that I'd still have a home? How could you expect me to focus on training when, in the beginning, I couldn't even see past my anger and tears? How could you think I'd be safe in a village that wanted our family destroyed and I had no way to protect myself? How could you think I could survive surrounded by peers who couldn't possibly understand how I was feeling? How could you?" He finished sobbing, brokenly whispering under his breath, "how could you…?"

Though it went against everything the brothers had taught themselves for the past several years, Itachi did the only thing he felt he could do as a brother: he embraced his crying otouto. Sasuke clung desperately to Itachi, burying his face in his brother's soft clothing and not caring if they were making a scene or potentially causing inappropriate rumors. He didn't even care if that blue bastard found out and pestered him about it until the day Sushi-Platter learned to fly.

When Itachi offered to take him back to the guests' quarters and spend the night with him so that he wouldn't be alone, Sasuke found he couldn't refuse even though he knew it to be against his better judgment. Itachi had to pick Sasuke up during the trek back when the younger's legs finally gave out from physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. The smaller of the two let himself be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his brother's steady heart, away from everything but the two of them together.


	30. New Complications Arise

_The smaller of the two let himself be lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his brother's steady heart, away from everything but the two of them together._

Itachi found that, much like his brother only an hour or so before, he could not find sleep. Instead, he gazed lovingly at the familiar from snuggled beneath the warm covers of his bed. Well, he supposed, frowning, the other body was no longer all that familiar to his ever darkening sight. He was taller, darker in his world view, more muscular, and there were remnants of his stay with Orochimaru that Itachi had never approved of. Their history was a bloody one, yet one wouldn't know it if they only looked at his younger brother's peaceful, slumbering expression.

Itachi sighed and moved from the bed to pace aimlessly around the room, the physical equivalent of the hurricane in his head. Sasuke had asked him repeatedly why he had waited until now to reveal his true motive and story, and the elder had given him an answer. However, it was also because Itachi had grown lonesome and terribly selfish. He couldn't bear the thought of never again cradling the one person he'd always loved and put before everyone else. The thought of watching his little brother destroy himself in vengeance when all he'd wanted was to put a fire in the youngest, blazing a path to the top. The thought of Sasuke's warm and open eyes becoming cold and cynical whenever they placed themselves upon Itachi. The thought that he took the sins of the elders so he wouldn't take Sasuke from the only home he'd ever known.

As he wandered, he absentmindedly picked objects up here and there, examined them for a moment or two perhaps, and then set them down in their proper places. He glanced at back at the boy, the child really whether Sasuke wanted to admit it or not, when he heard the other exhale slightly louder than usual. His ears perked up, alert and straining for any signs the other Uchiha was either waking or having unpleasant dreams. When no such indications occurred, Itachi took the noise as a small blip in his unconsciousness; a sigh and nothing more. Flooding his senses, memories came back to him as if to let him know they would never leave him- to help his guilt overwhelm him.

Sasuke crying when his kunai and shuriken wouldn't hit the target in front of him. Sasuke being admonished by their father whenever he had trouble with grades. Sasuke riding on his aniki's back after a particular long and exhausting day of training. Sasuke smiling whenever Itachi could take time out to help train him, or to teach him the different constellations. They'd been replaying in his mind for years when he'd lay down to sleep, never forgiving, never releasing him, always there. Itachi felt ages older which each passing day- the criminal acts, overusing his Sharingan, and the departure of Sasuke's innocence made sure of that.

He gazed at his otouto again and gently brushed a few hairs away that had managed to get into the smaller one's eyes. Making a face and sliding it deeper into the covers, the younger unknowingly caused his brother to give one of his rare smiles. He gracefully and silently entered into the bed and wrapped his lithe yet strong arms around Sasuke when the other raven unconsciously turned toward him in his sleep. He vaguely made a mental note to talk to Kisame about how long they should actually stay in this village- they'd drawn enough attention to themselves already. But right then, all he wanted to do was to hold onto the only family he had left, close his eyes, and try again to fall asleep.

He leans over the other body, sweat and breath mixes between them, yet it strangely doesn't bother either one. If you were to ask Itachi who it was who visited his dreams for the past two nights and if he was in a particularly generous mood to be honest, he might tell you he didn't know. As frustrasting as that bit of truth was for him, it was so nonetheless, and each of these night visions started and ended the same way. Itachi being as kind and gentle as an Uchiha can possibly be, and at the end he looks to the face of his lover, only to find that he awakens before knowing who it is he has been bedding in his sleep.

Were he awake now he'd blush at the obscene feeling in his chest at the sounds the one under him brought forth to him like an offering of a most sinful nature. Or maybe at the ever-growing tightness within the depths of his stomach, and the pleasurable release of tension thereof in a beautiful yet all-too-short burst of heaven. Yet, as he embraced his obscure love and attempted to recognize the face once more, none of that seemed to matter.

"I love you, Itachi," came a whispered testament to the act they'd just finished, though the voice itself was too neutral to be identified with someone he knew. Just as his eyes began to sweep across the features in a vain attempt to dissipate the haze they were under, he felt a familiar tug as consciousness drew him back to a more difficult world to understand.

Itachi awoke to a still-sleeping Sasuke laying on his chest and nestled close. He did his best to maneuver out of the hold without waking the other, and soon enough found himself out of the bed he had to re-tuck his brother into. He found the bathroom for guests and washed and dressed himself to a more presentable manner. Setting, his expression to the default of a blank determination, he started about finding his literal partner in crime.

When he found Kisame, the blue man was still passed out in his room- a fact which Itachi easily rectified. "Wha-" The larger man snorted to blurry attention, yelping when his sudden actions forced him out of bed sooner than he'd anticipated. "What is it, Itachi?" He asked, trying his damnedest to have a shred of dignity in his annoyance and embarrassment. "What can I help you with?" Itachi only responded with a well-practiced smirk, and an easy glide toward the door. When he stood in the doorway he paused and turned his head slightly in afterthought.

"I'd like a word with you, Kisame."


End file.
